A Greaser And A Soc
by reviewgirl911
Summary: Ponyboy's been acting strange and the gang can't figure out why. How will they react when they find out he's fallen deeply in love with a soc girl. Will this cause trouble for the gang? Will Pony's romance last?
1. Meeting the Girl

Ponyboy's POV

It all started one day after school while I was waiting for Two-Bit drive me home. I was sitting in the bleachers with a book, Gone With the Wind. It was the copy Johnny left me when he died and it was my most valuable possession. After Johnny and Dally died, I had clamed up and stopped talking as much. Two-Bit liked to say that I had gone mute. I could tell my brothers were worried, so I tried to pretend like I was fine. I still had terrible nightmares even a year after my friends' deaths. My grades had improved since then, basically because I wanted to make Johnny and Dally proud. When I felt like giving up, I pushed myself even harder, to the point where even Darry was worried. I rarely went out anymore, except to the movies. I still watched sunsets, each one reminding me a bit of Johnny. I didn't tell the gang this because I didn't feel like being teased.

"Good tastes," someone behind me said. I turned around and saw a girl. This girl definitely wasn't a greaser girl. She had on a nice white blouse with a red graceful skirt that made her green eyes pop and her auburn hair shine. She was wearing a bit of makeup, but nothing like Evie or Angela Sheppard ever wore. I just stared at her. "In books, I mean. Gone With the Wind, it's a great book. I love the movie, but t just doesn't compare with the book. I'm Audrey Toohey, by the way. I just moved here from Chicago. My dad's the new principal." she rambled on a bit.

"Hi, Audrey, nice to meet you. I'm Ponyboy Curtis. And I agree with you about the book versus the movie." I said politely. I already liked this girl, this Soc.

"Ponyboy. That's a very interesting and original name. I was named after the poet Auden. My mom made my dad twist a bit because she thought Auden sounded like a boy's name." Audrey told me with a chuckle. I knew she was laughing at how ridiculous her parents could be.

"I've read some of Auden's work, but I didn't particularly care for it. I'm not big on poetry." I replied casually. I was shocked how easily it was to talk with this girl. The gang liked to tease me because I wasn't good with girls yet. Not that they didn't like me, I just didn't care for many of them. I knew the reason was that my type of girl wasn't a greaser girl, but a Soc girl wouldn't take a second glance at me. Until now, I guess.

"Really? I love poetry. It can mean whatever you want it to mean." she answered defensively. We spent the next hour debating books, movies, and poetry and talking about our family. I learned that she was an only child, but was extremely close to her parents. She also loved movies and was a fan of Paul Newman. I told her about my brothers and the gang. She wanted to meet Soda and was amused by my Two-Bit stories. I told her about Dally and Johnny and that my copy of Gone With the Wind had been his. I showed her his message inside the book. She hugged me when I started to cry a bit. Our conversation was cut short when I heard Two-Bit calling for me.

"Ponyboy, oh Ponyboy, where are you?" he shouted. I could tell he was a bit drunk. Audrey laughed.

"Is he always like this?" she whispered into my ear. I nodded.

"Drunk or sober," I added solemnly. Audrey smacked my arm playfully.

"Ponyboy Curtis, you shouldn't talk about your friend that way." she scolded me jokingly.

"I should probably go before he gets himself in trouble." I said sadly. I didn't want to leave her sitting here alone. "Do you need a ride?" I asked hopefully. Then again, I'd just get a weird look of Two-Bit and questions about why we were driving a Soc girl home.

"No, my dad should be out of his meeting soon," Audrey replied wistfully. I could tell she wanted me to drive her home. "But, I can give you my number. Meet me here again tomorrow." she said kindly. She grabbed a piece of paper out of her bag and wrote down her number. She handed it to me. "See you tomorrow," Audrey said with a smile.

"You bet," I replied softly. I climbed down the bleachers and walked over to where Two-Bit was.

"Kid, where have you been? We have to get back soon or Darry's going to get mad." he said with a bit of fear in his eyes. I'd be scared too. Darry could take the two of us in a fight and win flawlessly. "Pone, what's wrong with you? You're smiling." Two-bit gasped in fake-shock.

"Nothing. Let's go." I replied with a shake of my head. I got to his crapbucket car that was always braking down on him. The car plus his driving was a safety hazard. No one but me ever noticed or said anything about it. I sat in the passenger seat, thinking about Audrey.

Two-Bit's POV

The kid was quiet the whole ride home. It wasn't the usual kind of forced quiet where he was trying to hold something in. It was the kind of quiet where he was thinking about something. Pony was always thinking. The kid was going places, places the rest of us couldn't even think of. He was a dreamer, someone who watched sunsets and thought of a world where it didn't matter if you were a soc or a greaser. I couldn't keep my mouth shut for more than five minutes if my life depended on it and my thoughts were always about girls and booze.

I looked down at the book he was holding. "Whatcha ya reading, Pone?" I asked him curiously. The kid was never without a book. He even read the same ones over and over again. Soda once asked him why he would read the same book twice and Pony smirked and said, "I know you barely read a book once, but you can read a book numerous times." He was getting mouthier by the day, something Darry didn't appreciate and I found hilarious.

"Gone With the Wind,' he mumbled softly. I knew that book had a lot of meaning to him. Johnny had left Pony his copy when he died. This baffled all of us, but the kid understood. He craved something into the grave with my switchblade. Johnny Cade: Died golden. None of us had a clue to what that meant, but Pony insisted that was all we should put on the grave.

The rest of the ride was quiet. We finally got to the house and opened the door. I could hear the tv on some game show. I opened the door and saw Soda and Steve playing blackjack.

"Hey, Two-Bit," they said in unison. That friendship baffled me almost as much as the Johnny-Pony friendship had. Those two were as different as night and day, but they were still best friends.

Soda turned to his brother, who was still grinning about something that I couldn't figure out. "Hey, Ponyboy. How was school?" he asked, knowing the best he would get was a fine.

"Good," Pony answered, still grinning like the Cheshire Cat. We all turned to stare at him. He hadn't said that about school in nearly a year. Something was definitely up with that boy. "I'm going to go start my homework," he added, clearly wanting to avoid our questions. He walked into Soda's and his room and shut the door.

Soda turned to me and asked, "What's with Pony? He actually seems like himself." It was the first time that we had seen the real Ponyboy in a while. For a few months after Johnny and Dally were gone, Pony walked around like zombie, barely eating or sleeping. He stopped reading for a while and his grades started to slip. Somehow, he managed to return to part of who he was. The kid started reading again and took up writing. He had a journal full of writing. He didn't show it to us because he knew we weren't into that stuff. I knew he'd be okay the first time I saw him admire a sunset again. Pony became quieter and didn't smile that much, but it was the best we could hope for. Or so we thought.

"Beats me. I go to pick him up from track and he just has that grin on his face." I told him with my eyebrows raised.

"We'll find out later," Steve said with a shrug. He turned to Soda. "Let's go. We're meeting Evie and her friend at the garage."

"Two-Bit, find out was up with Ponyboy," Soda commanded me, his eyes threatening.

"Sir, yes sir. Though first I am going to have a few more drinks." I replied with a fake salute. Soda just shook his head at me and followed Steve out the door.

I knocked on Pony's bedroom door. "Hey, Pone, I'm going to go have a couple of drinks. I'd bring you, but then Darry might kill me. I'll be back for dinner." I shouted through the door. I remotely heard an Okay, so I took off. I grinned to myself. The old Ponyboy was back!


	2. The First Date

Pony's POV

As soon as I heard Two-Bit close the front door, I took the piece of paper with Audrey's number out of my pocket. I walked into the kitchen and grabbed the phone and dialed her number. Someone immediately answered. "Hello? How may I help you?" the person asked politely.

"Um, it's Ponyboy," I responded dumbly. If this wasn't Audrey, I probably sounded like a complete idiot.

"Oh, hi Ponyboy! What are you doing?" Audrey questioned me, her voice now cheerful.

"Nothing. I was just wondering if you wanted to meet me at the drugstore. I could show you a bit of Tulsa." I asked her, now soundly nervous.

"I'd love that. Let me just go ask my dad." she responded happily. I gulped nervously. Her dad was the principal. He probably hated hoods like me. I waited for Audrey to respond.

After a couple of minutes, her voice came back on the phone. "Ponyboy, my dad said that was fine and that he was glad I'd found such a nice gentleman to show around town. I'll see you there. Bye." she said joyfully. I said goodbye too and hung up the phone.

I went in my room to grab shoes and a coat since it was supposed to get chilly tonight. I scribbled a note for my brothers and left it on the table. They would probably be glad I'm going out, especially Soda. I had clammed up and hid myself after all that happened. The only places I really went besides school were the movies and the library, and never with company. Johnny was the only person in the gang who had been able to sit through a movie with me. It was one of the things that I had written about in my journal. What started out as a theme for English had turned into a story of the gang and I. It was long and my journal was nearly full. No one had read it because none of the gang read, and I don't want them to read it. It's like part of my soul was in it.

I make a mental note to include Audrey in it. I knew I was falling for her. I remember what Soda told me about love. I wondered if this was what it felt like as I walked to the gas station. Steve was the only one with a steady girl these days. Soda was still heartbroken over Sandy, Darry was too busy working, and Two-Bit liked girls too much to only be with one. I wondered if I'd be like Soda and fall hard for a girl only to have her crush my heart, or Two-Bit, who went through girls like switchblades. I decided neither.

Audrey's POV

I was so nervous about going out with Ponyboy. I decided to stay in the outfit I had been wearing, since he seem to like it. I gently curled the tips of my shoulder length auburn hair and reapplied my makeup. I said goodbye to my parents. It wasn't that dark outside, so I walked. I managed to find the gas station without getting lost. I saw Ponyboy sitting on a bench, smoking a cigarette. He smiled when he saw me.

I grabbed the cigarette out of his hand and dropped it on the ground. I stepped on it, putting it out. "Do you want to die of lung cancer?" I asked him furiously. He just gave me a look. "If you're going to hang out with me, you've got to quit." I stated firmly.

Ponyboy looked shocked. He looked like he was thinking about it. Finally, he said fine. I didn't believe him, so I took it one step further.

"Give me your pack," I commanded him, my hand on my hip. He looked sad as he handed over his pack.

"Thank you," I replied sweetly. Ponyboy just glared at me.

"Has anyone ever told you you're a lot of work?" he asked me sarcastically.

"No," I replied nicely.

"They should," he responded, his voice flat. I smacked his arm. Finally, he raised his hands in mock surrender. "Fine, you win," Ponyboy replied irriatedly.

"Thank you," I said, slipping my hand through his. Ponyboy looked at me and smiled.

"So, if stop smoking gets me hand-holding permission, what does a tour of the town give me?" he teased.

I raised an eyebrow. "You'll just have to wait and see," I responded almost seductively. Ponyboy looked at me with a smirk.

He showed me nearly everything in town. The garage where his brother worked, the local diner, the empty lot where Bob Sheldon was killed, the Nightly Double, and finally the graveyard. We weaved through graves, our hands still together. At one point I shivered, so he gave me his jacket. We finally stopped at a grave. It read Johnny Cade: Hero. I could make out something carved in at the bottom: Died golden. I looked at Ponyboy as if to ask to explain. He looked like he was about to cry.

"His last words to me were "Stay golden, Ponyboy, stay golden." He died golden and I wanted his grave to say that." he told me, his voice breaking.

"That was nice of you," I replied. It was the only thing I could think to say. I'd never had a friend die.

"None of the gang knows what it means. I can't tell them. They wouldn't get it." Ponyboy told me, his voice sad. I could tell he wasn't like other hoods. He was a dreamer like me. I hadn't been here that long, but people had been calling me a Soc. From what Ponyboy told me about them, I knew I wasn't like them. Two people who were misfits on their sides. A match made in heaven.

"I think I get it," I answered calmly. Johnny sounded like someone I would've been good friends with.

"Good. That's part of why I wanted to bring you here." Ponyboy told me with a smile. I studied his handsome face for answers. God, I could stare at him all day.

"Why did you bring me here?" I asked curiously. He hadn't taken me to Dally's grave or even to his parents' graves.

"I wanted Johnny to be the first one to meet you," he replied sweetly. At that moment, I kissed him. It was a great kiss, long and sweet and passionate. We didn't stop until we couldn't breathe.

Ponyboy looked at me with amazement. "Was that my prize for a tour of the town?" he asked me sarcastically.

I shook my head no and responded, "Your prize is a date with me Friday. Aren't you lucky?"

"Absurdly so," Ponyboy responded while laughing. I smiled at him.

He wanted to walk me home, but I said he was going to be late and he could just walk me to the drugstore. We both agreed we weren't going to tell anyone about us. Neither of us wanted the harassment at school. I did want to introduce him to my parents, which he agreed to. He said I'll meet the gang when the time was right. We finally got to the drugstore. Instead of going immediately, we made out for a bit.

The sun was starting to set. Ponyboy pointed to it. "There's Johnny watching us," he whispered in my ear. I smiled.

"A greaser who watches sunsets? The world must be coming to an end." I teased him.

"No, not yet. When Two-Bit dates a redhead, then you can panic."

"Or graduates," I added. My dad had been complaining about one student who refused to graduate. Now I know it was Two-Bit.

"Exactly. Your answer just showed that we're a perfect match." Pony said laughing. He kissed me goodbye.

"The greaser and the soc," I replied as I walked away. "Sounds epic."

Soda's POV

Steve and I returned from our dates. Evie's friend had been cute and nice, for a greaser girl that is, but she was no Sandy. No matter how hard I tried, that girl was imprinted into my brain. I wrote her letters once a week, but she never responded to them. Darry said it was for the best and that I was better off without her. Ponyboy would just give me a sad, sympathetic smile. He was dealing with some losses of his own.

We walked into the house to find it completely empty. Even Ponyboy was gone. I was shocked at this. The kid barely left the house anymore. I spotted a note on the table. I read it out loud. "Dear Whoever Gets Home First, I went out with a friend. I'll back before dinner, which is Soda's responsibility tonight. I'll do dishes. Signed, Ponyboy." "Steve! Come over here!" I shouted at him. He been looking through the fridge.

"What?" Steve grumbled. I handed him the note. He stared at it in shock.

"The kid finally left the house," Steve said in amazement. I shook my head excitedly. "So, what are you making for dinner?" he asked, completely changing the subject.

"I don't know yet," I replied. I searched through our fridge. Darry really needed to go shopping. I decided we'd have eggs, toast, and bacon for dinner. I got it all started on the stove. I put red food coloring in the eggs. Steve surfed the channels while I was cooking.

Two-Bit walked in about ten minutes after we did. Surprisingly, he wasn't drunk, but he did look giddy. "Hey, guys! What's for dinner? How's Ponyboy?" he asked, his words going a mile a minute.

"The kid's not here; he went out with a friend. And we're having eggs, bacon, and toast for dinner." Steve replied, clearly bored with the subject. For some reason, he had never liked Ponyboy.

"You guys, I think the old Pony's making a reappearance," Two-Bit said excitedly. "And dinner sounds great! When will it be ready?"

"Soon," I answered. Steve and Two-Bit started playing blackjack, Steve winning most of the time.

Darry walked in just as I was about to set the table. "Hey, Dar, how's was work?" I asked.

"The usual. Where's Ponyboy?" he responded tiredly.

"Out with a friend. Left a note saying he'd be back soon." I replied while grabbing plates.

Darry paused. "A friend?" he asked skeptically.

"Yeah, and he was smiling today," Two-Bit piped in.

Darry seemed to be at a loss for words. At that moment, Ponyboy walked in the door. The kid looked flushed, probably because he forget his jacket again. It was starting to get cold outside. The one thing we all noticed was his smile. By normal standards, he looked abnormally happy. By his, this was a different person. "Hey guys, what's up? Is dinner ready?" Pony asked while taking of his shoes.

Darry eyed him suspiciously. "It's ready. Soda's just setting the table. Where were you? And where's your jacket." he lectured. I braced myself for a full-fledged fight.

"I was out with a friend of mine. We hung out in the gas station. I left my coat in my room." Ponyboy replied calmly. Everyone was shocked Pony hadn't started a fight. Even Darry looked a little stunned.

"Okay. Is your homework done?" Darry asked demandingly. Two-Bit stepped in as the peacemaker.

"Lay off him, Darry. With all the homework he's done, he's probably finished his first year of college." Two-Bit joked.

"You might not be so far off," Pony said quietly

"What's that mean?" I asked him curiously.

"Well, a lot of my teachers have been telling me that since I'm taking so many advanced classes that I might start college as a sophomore," he told us humbly.

"One less year to pay for," Darry replied cheerfully.

"Guy, ready to eat?" I asked the gang. They all nodded and rushed to the table. I watched Ponyboy, noticing the little things. He actually ate most of his dinner this time and joined the conversation. This mystery was why he was so happy.

Once everyone left, we got ready for bed. Ponyboy sat at his desk, writing in that journal. I could see that he only had one page left. I asked him what he was going to do when the journal ran out of space. He responded, "I'll start a new story." I just nodded.

While trying to fall asleep, Pony asked me a question. "Soda, remember when I asked how it felt to be love? I was wondering how it felt after."

"Real bad, Pony, real bad," I answered honestly.

"Alright then. Good night. Pepsi-Cola." he said as I started to drift asleep.

"Night, Ponyboy," I responded. I had a feeling he'd be okay tonight.


	3. The Star-Crossed Lovers's Spat

Ponyboy's POV

Our first date went by fast. I took her to a movie one town over. I had convinced Two-Bit to lend me his car so I could go to some "out-of-town" bookstore with a friend. I don't think he bought my excuse, but he gave me the car nonetheless. After the movie, I took her back to the graveyard where I introduced her to Dally. She comforted me as I started to cry. We spent the next few weeks finding secret places to go, places no Soc or greaser would go. We spent the majority of our dates in the library, reading and debating different things. We made out in the empty lot where Johnny killed Bob and told our secrets. The gang was starting to question where I was going and who I was with all the time. I became an expert at dodging these questions. We wanted them to know before everyone at school. I'd already met her parents and they surprisingly had approved of me. Her dad gave me a couple of books he thought I would enjoy.

That girl was starting to become like a drug to me. I couldn't stand not being able to touch her or look at her. School days became agonizing for me. I'd see her steal glances at me while sitting with those Socs, with Randy and Cherry. Two-Bit was starting to catch on. "Pony, you stay away from them Soc girls, they ain't nothing but trouble," he'd lecture me, waging his figure whenever I looked over at Audrey. I'd just reply with a shut up, Two-Bit.

Our peaceful trance was broken one Friday night. I was sitting in my room, reading The Fountainhead. Audrey had insisted it was something I had to read. I made a deal with her: She'd go see Rebel Without a Cause with me and I'd read this book. I personally thought the author was out of her mind with all the ranting, but her words were powerful. I liked the idea behind the book, that being an individual is more powerful than being part of the masses even if the masses hate you.

Soda ran into our room. His foot was tapping quietly on the floor. "Ponyboy! There's a rumble on Friday, and Darry said you could fight." Soda said excitedly. Truthfully, I didn't want to fight anymore. I was sick of fighting for no reason. I was sick of hiding my relationship just because we were from different parts of town.

"I don't think I can fight," I said slowly. Soda looked shocked.

"Why?" Soda asked curiously. I wanted to tell him I was sick of fighting, but that would make me a coward.

I chose my answer carefully. "I'm sick of fighting the Socs every time either side does something. There's got to be more to life than that." I replied truthfully. That was only part of the reason. I couldn't beat up Soc guys without thinking of their girlfriends' reactions. Would Audrey react the same way if someone hurt me? I was just sick of hurting people. "Count me out," I said. Soda stood there surprised as I grabbed my book and headed out the door. Steve and Two-Bit gave me quizzical look but I ignored them. I headed to the bleachers where I was planning to meet Audrey. She was sitting there in a white blouse and green skirt, staring out into the field. I sat besides her and grabbed her hand. She looked at me startled. "Sorry. Did I scare you?" I questioned quietly. She looked at me with that special smile.

"Ponyboy Curtis, it will take a lot more than that to scare me," she whispered softly. I kissed her. Still, she could sense that something was on my mind. "What's wrong?" she asked, her eyes concerned.

"There's a rumble Friday. The gang wants me to fight." I said solemnly.

"You're not going to do it, are you?" Audrey asked, her beautiful face etched with worry.

"I don't know. If I do, they might not care when I tell them about us. But I am sick of fighting." I replied.

"Then don't fight. You're only fighting for honor, which is pretty stupid." she urged.

This made me mad. We were fighting for more than just honor. We were fighting for the friends that we had lost, the people who could no longer fight. "You're wrong," I stated. That made her mad.

"Oh really. Then, please explain it to me." she fired back, her voice venomous.

"We're fighting for our friends who can't. And do you want to know why they can't fight anymore? Because your friends put them in the ground!" I shouted at her. The look on her face made me sick.

"They're not all bad people! You don't know what you're talking about!" Audrey screamed back at me, full of rage.

"All I know is that those friends of yours tried to drown me and are the reason two of my friends are dead." I stated angrily.

She had enough. "Fine, fight or don't fight! I don't give a damn! Go get hurt!" Audrey shouted at me as she left. I sat there in silence. I didn't mean those things I said and I already felt like an idiot. I was still angry but I knew I wasn't angry at her. I was angry with myself. I was sick of feeling bad and trying to be something I wasn't. And I had just pushed away the one person who knew the real me. Way to go, Ponyboy, I thought to myself.

Soda's POV

I was surprised that Pony didn't want to fight. He had always been so eager to fight. I didn't know what had gotten in to him. After that night, Ponyboy's mood decreased rapidly. You couldn't even talk to him because he's practically bite your head off. Darry was at his wit's head because of how mouthy Pony was. Pony also abandoned the book he had been reading. When I asked him why, he responded, "It's garbage." That wasn't like him. He always finished whatever he was reading, no matter how awful it was. I picked the book up at of the trash where he had thrown it. I wiped it off and opened the cover. On the back of the front cover, someone had written something.

Dear Ponyboy,

I know how much you don't want to read this book, but I promise to make it up for it in more ways than one. The romance in this book might remind you of two certain people. There is also a lot of the same dynamic I know you crave. Individualism versus the opinion of the masses. It's a lot like the Greasers and the Socs. You and I don't fit into our molds. You like sunsets and writing while I don't care for cheerleading or beer blasts. Finish the book or you'll be reading some Auden next.

Audrey

I stared at this for a while. Who was Audrey and how did she know my brother so well? I approached Two-Bit, knowing he'd have some kind of information. "Hey, Two-Bit, has Pony shown any interest in any girl lately?" I asked him.

"Well, all the girls are fighting over him, but he doesn't seem to care for many of them. There is one Soc he's always staring at, but I warned him not to get involved there." Two-Bit replied, his eyes curious. "Why?"

"I'm trying to figure out why he's in this funk. First, he doesn't want to fight and now he does. He's mouthing off all of us any chance he can get. And he's not smoking." I rattled off the list.

One statement caught his attention. "Not smoking? God, we need to help that boy get back to normal and fast!" Two-Bit shouted worriedly. "Why don't we go spy on him and see what we can dig up?"

I nodded my head. "Good plan," I responded. We left the house and searched all his favorite places. Our last stop was the library. Before we went in, we heard Ponyboy's voice talking to someone behind the building. We also heard a girl talking. Actually, it was more like yelling.

"Aren't you sick of this? Of hiding everything? If you fight, that will just make it harder when we tell everyone." the girl shouted at him.

"I have to do this for my friends. I'll be okay." Ponyboy reassured her, his eyes calm.

"I don't want you hurt! Besides, you're only fighting for some dead friends of yours!" she screamed venomously. Pony's face fell. The girl immediately recoiled. "I'm sorry. I had no place telling you that."

"It's okay. I didn't come here to fight with you." Pony said quietly. The girl looked at him, her eyes growing soft.

"Then why did you come?" she asked anxiously.

"To tell you I'm an idiot who loves," Pony whispered. Two-Bit and I looked at each other. The girl ran towards him and hugged him. He spun her around and they kissed. He put her down. I was reminded of Pony's questions on love. I think he's figured it out on his own.

"I'm sorry I was so dismissive about the rumble. Fight if you want to." she told him kindly.

"I'm going to fight and after the rumble, we'll tell everyone. But, we have to stick together." Pony told her, his hands in hers.

"We're just a regular Romeo and Juliet," she teased him.

"More like Howard and Dominique," he muttered sarcastically.

"You read The Fountainhead?" she asked, her expression hopeful.

"I'm near the end." Pony told her, rolling his eyes.

"And?" she asked.

"The woman's crazy, but her words are beautiful and her ideas aren't that bad." Pony responded.

"Ha! I win! Audrey Toohey convinced to the oh-so stubborn Ponyboy Curtis to read Ayn Rand and he enjoyed it!" Audrey shouted joyfully. Ponyboy gave her a look.

"Hey, do you remember what you said about us being the greaser and the soc on that tour I gave you?" Pony asked her, his eyes bright. She nodded. "Does that have anything to do with you liking me?"

Audrey shook her head no. "Honestly, it's the exact opposite. I was attracted to you because you didn't fit into that greaser mold. I mean, what other greaser reads, watches sunsets, gives his jacket to a girl just because she shivered, and takes a girl he cares about to his friend's grave just because he wants to that friend to be the first one to meet that girl? Those are the things I love about you. Plus, your book and movie tastes are definitely a plus. And you're not too bad to look at."

Pony smiled. "That's good. So, want to go see we can finally drive that librarian nuts by asking for titles that don't exist?" he asked Audrey.

She smiled and said, "You're on!" They left hand in hand for the library. Two-Bit and I stayed crouched in our hiding places. Once the coast was clear, we stepped out and tried to absorb the information we had just received. "Looks like my baby brother has finally been wiled by the will of a woman." I said, shocked and wistful.

"But why did it have to be a Soc girl? Any chick of ours would have him in a second." Two-Bit complained. I knew what he meant. The Socs weren't going to be too happy about a greaser dating one of their own.

I knew the answer to his question, but I didn't say it out loud. Ponyboy wasn't your typical greaser, so he couldn't date a typical greaser girl. In typical Ponyboy fashion, he had found another outsider who wasn't his kind. I shook my head. "So, should we tell anyone?" I asked him. It was a tough decision. I didn't want Pony mad at us, but this seemed like something Darry should know about.

"Nah. Let the kid do his own dirty work. Otherwise, he'll hate us forever. Plus, imagine how mouthy he'd be after that. Darry just might lose his mind." Two-Bit replied seriously.

"Fine." I replied with defeat. "So, want to go see if we can pick up some girls?" I asked cheerfully. Seeing Pony with his girl made me miss Sandy even more.

"What are you waiting for?" Two-Bit answered. We started walking to the Nightly Double. I had a feeling things were about to get ugly around here.


	4. Time to Rumble!

Ponyboy's POV

The day of the rumble was a bad one for all of us. Soda and Two-Bit were especially quiet, which scared me. What did they know that I didn't? They kept looking at me like I was on trial or something. I thought about Audrey and me, and then shook the idea away. We'd been extremely careful, only going on dates in places no greaser or soc would even glance at. The girl continued to amaze me. She never cared about the quality of places I took her. She didn't even mock me when I packed us a picnic one day when I couldn't afford dinner.

I was extremely nervous getting home from school. I wanted a cigarette so badly, but I hadn't touched them since Audrey plucked one out of my hands on that tour. I didn't know what lung cancer was or that smoking caused it until she yelled at me. I'd always been told that smoking was good for you. Everyone in the gang had been smoking forever; No one even thought about it anymore. I walked out to the porch and sat down. I observed the cars passing by, studying the people as they went. There was always something that can be learned by observing others.

I was spacing out when Two-Bit's car pulled up to the curb. He got out and walked towards me. "Hey, Ponyboy. Whatcha doing?" he asked me in the guarded tone he'd been using with me for the last few days.

"I'm watching cars pass by," I answered, my voice flat. I was just trying to think about something other than the rumble and Audrey. And if that thing had to be passing cars, then so be it.

"You have such fascinating hobbies, kid. What's next on the agenda? Knitting?" Two-Bit mocked in his usual fashion. I rolled my eyes at him.

"No. Next is beating up some Socs. Then knitting." I replied. I was half-glad that I could get revenge for Dally and Johnny this time and half-terrified I was going to have my face altered.

"I can't believe Darry is going to let you fight after last time," Two-Bit mumbled. I knew he had felt responsible for me being in the hospital and had beaten himself up about it.

"Don't worry. I'm not sick and I like to think that I've that I've grown a little since then," I said sarcastically. I was actually almost taller than Darry, but I didn't have his build. I was all long limbs and skinny as a rod, but still fit from running track all the time.

"Hey, you're the youngest of the gang, kid. We're going to worry about you whether you're fifteen or fifty. I'd get us to it." Two-Bit responded seriously. Those serious moments were a rare thing from him, so I knew he was genuinely worried.

"I know," I replied softly. That's when Soda and Steve pulled up. Soda had been acting weirder than Two-Bit, looking at me as if he was trying to figure out a riddle.

"What's up?" Steve asked casually. He's the only one in the gang not acting funny lately.

"Just having a serious talk with the kid here," Two-Bit replied with his famous grin. I shook my head.

Soda snorted. "You had a serious talk with Pony?" he asked in disbelief.

"Hey, if it's not about girls and booze, it's a serious talk," Two-Bit joked. Soda raised his eyebrows at me, as if he wanted me to tell him something. I ignored him.

"So, you guys ready for the rumble? It's nearly time." Steve asked, his voice disguising his excitement. Everyone seemed really excited over this rumble, but I couldn't figure out why. I used to want to fight too, but I don't remember why. I probably wanted to prove myself to my friends. But, the two friends who mattered the most were gone now.

"I guess so," I said with a shrug. Everyone started getting up to go. I hopped into Two-Bit's car, bracing myself for his driving. Before starting the car, he turned around and asked, "You know you can tell us anything right?" His eyes were serious, and I was immediately nervous.

"Yeah," I responded softly.

"Cuz we're always going to be there for you no matter what," Two-Bit added while started up the car.

"I know," I replied. Suddenly, I knew what he was getting at; he knew about Audrey. "What do you know?" I asked suspiciously. If Two-Bit didn't actually know that much, I wasn't about to tell him.

"That girl of yours is pretty and seems nice enough for Soc. But, be careful. None of us want you getting into trouble." he lectured, his expression unreadable. I nodded. And, as if reading my mind, he added, "Darry doesn't know yet. You've got to do your own dirty work."

"What about Soda?" I asked nervously. He was the first person I wanted to tell after Johnny, but I didn't think he'd accept it.

Two-Bit nodded and I gulped. "Shit," I mumbled to myself. Two-But heard it.

"Ponyboy Curtis, watch your tongue!" Two-Bit teased, imitating Darry. I shook my head. It was going to be a long night.

Audrey's POV

I stared at my reflection in the mirror. Would Ponyboy's brothers and friends just dismiss me as a stuck up Soc? Based on his stories, the gang didn't seem to have much respect for any Soc. Personally, I was surprised Ponyboy was still able to date me after all the things he'd heard from his family and friends. Whenever I brought it up, he'd just give me that cute grin of his and say, "You're not just any Soc girl." I thought for a while about what that really meant? He had said the same thing about Cherry the first day we met. But, with me, it was in a different context.

I heard a car horn honk outside. I ran down stairs, grabbing Ponyboy's jacket that I'd forgotten to return. Okay, more like hid away. I wave goodbye to my parents, who tell me to be home by eleven thirty. I greeted Cherry and her friends as I hopped into the backseat. All the girls were gossiping about what guys would be at the rumble.

"Tim Shepard got locked up again, but the rest of his gang is going to be there," one of the girls, Brenda, informed us smugly. She seemed so proud to have the inside scoop. I didn't know why this was so impressive, but all the other girls starting to compliment her.

"Do you think Ponyboy will be there?" another girl, Marcia, asked curiously. Cherry glanced back at her, then to the road.

"I doubt it. Do you remember what happened last time?" Cherry said, focused on driving. We all nod. The story is pretty well known and has earned Ponyboy a lot of grudging respect among the Socs.

"Too bad. He's a cutie." one girl, Linda, said giggling. It took all of my will power not to glare at her. I just sat there, with my fists clenched.

"I heard that Angela Sheppard is still going after him," Brenda added with a roll of her eyes. God, I really wanted to punch that girl, but I didn't. No point in making enemies you don't need.

Ponyboy had told me a bit about Angela's crush on him, but I could tell he'd toned it down a bit. If the Sheppard's were a pack of wolves, Angela was the one who just mastered their claws. She was nearly as scary as Tim and Curly.

We got to the rumble just in time. I looked over and saw Ponyboy talking to Two-Bit. His eyes were intent on listening to his friend. I could tell by his gestures that he was nervous, and I was scared for him. From what the other girls told me, I knew that these fights were pretty fair compared to gang fights. It was just your fists, no switchblades or pieces of pipe. Ponyboy saw me and then looked away. I smiled.


	5. The Gang Meets Audrey

Soda's POV

I saw my brother eyeing his girl. I felt a bang of jealousy. I still wasn't over Sandy. I had been writing her once a week and getting no response. Darry kept telling me it was for the best, but I just felt like I'd lost the love of my life. It was hard watching my best friend and my brother both being in love when I felt so alone. I still didn't know where I stood on the whole Ponyboy dating a Soc issue, but I just wanted my brother to be happy. And if the girl made him happy, then so be it.

"Soda? Earth to Soda?" I turned around to see Darry trying to get my attention.

"Huh?" I asked, snapping back into reality. Darry looked tense and perhaps a little angry.

"I said what's wrong. What's gotten into you and Pony lately? It's like his absentmindness is spreading to you." he ranted. I frowned at him. He always considered Pony's thoughtfulness a weakness, when it was going to be the thing that would get him out of this town.

"Shut up," I said, shocked by what came out of my mouth. I was just sick of Darry complaining all the time.

"What?" Darry asked, his voice low.

"Nothing." I changed the subject. "Ready to fight?"

"Yep," Darry replied cautiously. Suddenly, we see someone throw a punch at a Soc. We start tackling Socs, fists flying everywhere. I saw Ponyboy slugging it out with some guy on the football team. I tried to listen in to their conversation while throwing punches.

"Hey, Ponyboy, why don't you have a girlfriend? Do greaser girls really hate you that much?" the guy sneered.

Pony just smirked and responded, "Is that why you don't have a girlfriend. Do soc girls really hate you that much?" A lot of people gasped. You don't just insult a Soc like that unless you have a death wish.

The dude snorted. "Please. I could have any girl I wanted at the snap of my fingers."

"Really. Name one girl." Pony challenged. I wasn't sure if I should admire my little brother's guts or fear for his life.

"Audrey Toohey," the guy responded with a perverted grin. Ponyboy tensed up. He seemed like he was walking away until I saw his fist break the guy's nose. Pony shook his hand, wincing at the pain. I saw his girl weave her way around the cars. I hoped she wasn't about to come over to our side. Things could get ugly.

Audrey's POV

I got out of Cherry's car and weaved my way through the crowd. I saw Ponyboy shaking his hand and wincing. I looked over at the guy who Ponyboy had punched. It was Tony Sherman, a linebacker on the football team. I recognized him from the few beer blasts I'd been to. He smiled at me and I glared at him. I was about to go over to Ponyboy when one of Tony's friends punched him from the back. He flew to the ground and I could see his friend's coming towards him.

I tapped lately on Tony's friend's shoulder. The guy turned around and smiled at me. I smiled back. Before he could register what was happening, I hit him right in the jaw. The guy flew to the ground. Everyone around me gasped. I ran towards Ponyboy.

He was leaning up against a car, his friend Two-Bit by his side. I could tell he was laughing, and I realized that he was laughing at me. By the time I got there, everyone was whispering among themselves and the fighting had stopped. Ponyboy grabbed my hand.

I began to lecture him. "Ponyboy Curtis! What in the world would make you do that!" Ponyboy just smiled that irresistible smile of his and shrugged. I glared at him until he finally spoke up.

"I was defending your honor," Ponyboy replied sweetly. At that moment, I didn't care who was watching, I just had to kiss him. He didn't fight it, and it was the best kiss I'd ever had. We would've made at there all night if his brother hadn't interrupted.

"Ponyboy! What's going on? Who is this?" Darry demanded to know. Ponyboy smiled and wrapped his arm around my waist. I put my head on his shoulder.

"This is my girlfriend," he answered honestly. All of our friends' jaws dropped at that moment. Greasers and socs didn't date; it was unheard of. Brenda and Linda gave me a jealous look.

"Your what?" Steve asked in disbelief. All of Pony's friends were talking amongst themselves, clearly shocked that the baby of the group had a girl.

"Girlfriend," Ponyboy repeated slowly. Steve just glared at him. I looked over at Darry to see his reaction. He really didn't have one. His face was frozen, completely void of all feeling.

Sodapop stepped up to me and stuck out his hand. "Hi, I'm Sodapop, but you can call me Soda. It's nice to finally meet you. I swear that brother of mine has no manners." I smiled at his easygoingness. I could see why Ponyboy favored him over Darry.

"Wait, what do you mean finally?" Ponyboy asked with a raised eyebrow. I was a little curious myself, seeing that we hadn't told anyone before tonight.

"Come on, Pony, give us some credit. Keeping a secret isn't a skill you have. Two-Bit and I tracked you lovebirds down at the library and heard your argument. And Audrey, you're right, Ponyboy is stubborn." Soda replied casually. Ponyboy and I exchanged a glance; we'd thought we heard somebody listening to us but had shook off the feeling as paranoia.

Two-Bit came up to me next. Out of all Ponyboy's friends, Two-Bit had sounded the funniest. "Wow. What is such a pretty girl like you doing with a greaser like Ponyboy?" he joked.

"He's just lucky," I replied with a smirk. Ponyboy rolled his eyes at me, and I elbowed him.

"Yes, extremely lucky," Ponyboy added with a smile. He looked over at Darry, who was still standing there expressionless. Ponyboy took his arm off my waist and walked over towards his brother. I watched as they argued. They were talking too quietly for me to hear them, but I could tell Darry wasn't happy. Ponyboy had warned me about this.

I turned to Two-Bit, who was occupying himself by craving his name into the door of his car. "Hey, Two-Bit, I'm going to go. Tell Ponyboy I'll see him tomorrow." I said quietly. Two-Bit smiled and nodded. I thanked him and walked over towards Cherry's car, avoiding all the looks and hollers. I slipped into the car without a word. Only Cherry and Marcia were left in the car.

"How long have you been seeing him?" Cherry asked bluntly. She didn't seem like the type to pry, but I could tell this was important to her.

"Since I arrived," I replied quietly. She nodded her head and started the car.

It was a few minutes before she asked another question. "Do you love him?" This question shocked me, but I did have an answer.

"Yes." I did love Ponyboy and couldn't imagine being with anybody else. I felt like a character out of one of Shakespeare's plays.

Cherry contemplated her answer for a moment, then sincerely responded, "Good. You're very similar people and both great. I hope you're happy." I was about to thank her before she added, "But be careful. Not everyone will see it that way. Some people will give you crap. I'll do everything I can to help you, but watch out."

This made me wary, and I asked, "Why do you care so much?"

Cherry smiled and responded, "After losing your love, you really try to help people hold on to theirs. And Ponyboy's a good guy. I owe him a favor."

Marcia spoke up. "Just don't break his heart. Ponyboy's been through enough as it is." I didn't expect her to care about Ponyboy so much, but I knew that Marcia and Two-Bit were friends. And Marcia cared about her friends, which by extension meant Ponyboy.

"I won't," I replied softly. If I broke his heart, I'd just be breaking my own. We drove back to Cherry's, minus Linda and Brenda, who had gone off with their boyfriends. I called my parents to tell them I'd be staying over Cherry's. They said it was fine as along as I called them in the morning.

We hung and out and watched tv. There wasn't much on, but we eventually found some cartoons. Marcia and Cherry started to act them out, with me doing the voice-overs. It felt good to have genuine friends I could trust. Everything seemed like it was falling into place. The storm had yet to come.


	6. Darry's Distress

Darry's POV

I wanted to kill Ponyboy when he told us he was dating that Soc girl. What kind of an idiot was he? Didn't he knew that would cause a lot of problems for us! And he was young, with plenty of time for girls in the future. He should've been focusing on the future. And yet, a little voice my head said, "Shouldn't he be happy?" I thought about this for a while. Pony's mood and attitude had improved tremendously since meeting that girl. He left the house more and was always smiling. None of us ever thought we were ever going to see Ponyboy smile again a year ago.

The ride home was silent. Even Two-Bit kept his yap shout, which was a remarkable accomplishment for him. He and Steve dropped us off. Soda tried to start a conversation by saying, "So… good fight. Darry, you really nailed Randy." Ponyboy's expression darkened. I knew he and Randy had a grudging mutual respect for each other since the last rumble. Which, in turn, meant a lot of Socs had respect for Pony.

I turn to my youngest brother. "What the hell were you thinking? Going after that guy like that?' I ask in the most even tone I can manage. Soda shot me a back-off look, but I ignored him. Ponyboy didn't answer. "Answer me!" I shouted.

Ponyboy stood up tall, and I realized, in shock, that he was an inch taller than me. "I was standing up for Audrey," he responded like it was that simple. I'd love to just peer inside his head; it must be a great place to live.

"That's no excuse. You could've gotten hurt again!" I continued shouting.

"Then why did you let me fight in the first place? I'm not some annoying kid anymore, Darry. I'm fifteen." Ponyboy fires back. I stand there, stunned. My kid brother was telling me off, his eyes dark. He saw my face and added, "You can't always protect me. I have to learn some things on my own."

I waited before asking, "Why didn't you just tell us when it started?" Truthfully, I wasn't that angry with Ponyboy anymore. I did intend to lecture him constantly, but I had nothing against this girl. I was just afraid of the trouble she'd get him in.

Pony's answer shocked me. "Because I knew you'd react this way. It's like, whenever I find something good, you manage to make it bad." I could tell this had been bugging him for a while by the look of relief he now had on his face. "This was something I didn't want you to ruin."

I'd never realized what I said had that much effect on my brother. I tried to apologize, but Pony stopped me. "Don't worry about it. You really can't help it." he said calmly.

Soda then started to pester Ponyboy with endless questions. One of them caught my attention. "Have you two done it yet?"

"No!" Ponyboy shouted, his cheeks turning deep red. If this question hadn't set off the guardian in me, I would've laughed at his humiliated face.

"Are you thinking about it?" I demanded to know. Ponyboy just started plushing deeper and ran into his room. I shook my head and turned to Soda. "Trouble's just knocking on our doorstep," I said with a sigh.

Soda just rolled his eyes at me. "Stop over reacting. So Pony has a girlfriend. Big whoop. We all knew it was going to happen eventually." And, as if he was reading my mind, Soda added, "That Soc girl won't get Pone into any trouble that he couldn't get himself into."

"I don't want Ponyboy throwing away his future for this girl. I was hoping he wouldn't be interested in girls until he was eighteen." I admitted reluctantly.

"Don't worry. Pony is smart, and I'm pretty sure he'll do what's best." Ponyboy reassured me, seeing the worry all over my face.

I sighed in defeat. "Okay, Pepsi-Cola, I guess you're right. I've got bigger things to worry about."

Soda nodded. "Night, Darry," he whispered.

"Night Soda," I softly replied. I went in my room and got ready for bed. Ponyboy having a girlfriend made me feel old. I still remembered a time where I went out on dates. Now the only girl I saw on a regular basis was Two-Bit's Soc friend, Marcia. Life is funny.


	7. Curly's Back

_Soda's POV_

_The next few weeks went by with nothing significant happening. Surprisingly, no one gave Ponyboy and Audrey much crap on their relationship. I thought it was because of Cherry, who had befriended Audrey. Darry thought it was because of Randy, who had a lot of respect for Ponyboy. Two-Bit said it was because Angela Sheppard wasn't going to stir up any trouble without both her brothers packing her up. She was waiting for Curly's release from jail. Pony didn't voice an opinion; he was just thankful for the luck he had. I'd love to have that kid's life; it always seems to work itself out in the end. _

_Trouble started one Friday night. I came home from work early with Two-Bit. We planned to watch tv and play poker since neither of us had found dates that night. Pony wasn't home, so I assumed he was out with Audrey, most likely at the show. _

"_Hey, Soda, what's for dinner?" Two-Bit asked curiously, eyeing the refrigerator. The guy was like a human garage disposal; he just never stopped._

"_I don't know, it's Darry's night to cook," I answered annoyed. Darry was a good cook, but not as good as I was. My dinners were always made interesting by the colors I made them. Who else would make orange pancakes? Darry would just grumble and roll his eyes at me while Ponyboy would laugh. Audrey had been over for dinner a few times and had looked skeptically at her green mashed potatoes. Pony had reassure her they were safe to eat. After dinner, she had complimented me on my cooking._

_That girl of my brother's was something else. She was tough like a greaser girl, but refined like a Soc one. Audrey easily handled Two-Bit. That was something we all marveled at. No girl could put up with him. She told us that her old town had no greasers and Socs. Everyone had been equal. I was shocked at this. It felt weird to think of places that weren't like our town. It made my brother's dream of leaving Tulsa more rational. _

_We played poker for two hours. I won most of the matches but Two-Bit had a few wins. It was nine o'clock when Darry get home. He looked tired and weary, like someone who had been hard at work. "Hey Darry!" we both shouted while playing our final round. Loser had to do the dishes._

"_Hey guys. Where's everyone?" Darry asked worriedly. The house felt too quiet, the same way it had felt ever since Dally and Johnny died. If all of us were here, that quiet would fade away. With only the three of us here, it felt empty. _

_I shrugged. "Steve is out with Evie and Ponyboy's with Audrey." _

_Darry laughed. "So it's just the single guys tonight?" he teased. Two-Bit gave him a death glare._

"_I have plenty of girls thank you very much. They all love me so much that none of them want to tie me down." Two-Bit answered cockily. _

_I snorted. "I'm sure you really believe that," I replied with a roll of my eyes. Two-Bit just stuck his tongue out at me. "Really mature." _

_Darry started to make dinner. It smelled good, but knowing Darry, he'd probably already burned something. Two-Bit and I continued to play poker while debating his many girls. He had many, mostly stupid blonds and red-heads. Sandy's hair had been a blonde, not platinum, but honey. Audrey's hair was brunette, auburn specifically. The phone ringing snapped me back into reality._

_I ran to get it. "Hello?" I asked softly._

_Audrey's voice filled my ears. "Soda, I don't know what to do, I really don't." she cried softly. This scared me._

"_Audrey, calm down. What's wrong?" I asked carefully. I knew it had something to do with Ponyboy, and her blubbering didn't make me feel any better._

"_Ponyboy's unconscious. I'm sitting on the sidewalk next to some diner, and I just don't know what to do." Audrey told me frantically. _

"_Don't worry, we'll be there in ten minutes." I reassured her as calmly as I could. She hung up first. _

"_Soda, who was it?" Darry asked me worriedly. His eyes were alert, as if he knew what I was thinking. _

"_Audrey. We need to leave right now." I told him forcefully. Darry started to ask questions, but I stopped him. "Later. Go start the car." He grabbed his jacket and went outside. I turned to Two-Bit._

"_Soda, what's wrong?" Two-Bit insisted to know. I had to restrain my tears._

"_It was Audrey. Ponyboy's unconscious and she's sitting by the curb of the diner." I responded quietly. Two-Bit stared at me wide-eyed._

"_Let's go!" he shouted, running outside. I followed him out the door, making sure all the lights and stove were off first. I gave Darry the address and he started to drive. Audrey didn't give me any details, so it was up to my imagination to think of what happened to my little brother. Visions of Socs with blades and greasers with pipe entered my brain. I shuddered._

_Ponyboy's POV_

_Friday night had started out normally. I went to Audrey's house and picked her up at seven o'clock. Her dad had lent me a copy of On The Road by Jack Kerouac. I was looking forward to reading it. Her mom asked me a question about my family like she did every time I came over. I suspected that she had read my file so she knew everything anyways. Still, it was nice to have someone who cared. Audrey came downstairs._

_I stared at her. She looked great in a pink tank top and long white skirt. Her hair was curled and pinned back behind one ear. I smiled at her._

"_Hey," I said shyly. Audrey smiled at me. _

_She turned to her dad. "Bye, daddy!" she said as we left. He just waved at us. We walked to the Nightly Double. It was showing Sabrina, an Audrey Hepburn movie. We sat through it more engrossed in each other than the movie both of us had seen twice. The movie ended too soon in both our opinions. _

_We were walking to the diner when Audrey noticed a car following us. I knew it couldn't be good, so I told her to go hide. She grudgingly listened me. The car stopped. Curly Sheppard hopped out. _

_Curly had been in jail a couple weeks for some grand auto theft. I hadn't heard he had gotten out yet. _

"_Hey, Ponyboy. Hear you got yourself a sweet little Soc girl now. How cute." he sneered at me, his friends circling around me. _

"_What do you want?" I asked as evenly as I could. It was a pointless question. I knew what he wanted: revenge. _

"_My sister doesn't like being rejected. Time to learn your lesson." Curly hissed into my ear. I looked over and noticed Tim sitting in the car, not able to move._

_The gang started to encircle me, so I defended myself. I took a few of the guys out. They had nine guys, four knocked out. It still left me to deal with five more. I swung at Curly only to be knocked in the face. I felt dizzy, drowsy almost. I knew from experience that it wasn't a good sign._

_Luckily, a police car was coming. Curly and his gang jumped into their car and fled. The cop nodded at me, and I managed a weak smile. Audrey ran over to me, shouting, "Ponyboy, are you alright?"_

_I started to say fine before I began to blackout. The last thing I heard was, "Ponyboy!" My mind slipped into dreamland and I felt like I was in a daze. _


	8. Orange Ya Glad I Didn't Say Banana?

Audrey's POV

I sat on the curb next to Ponyboy's unconscious body, trying to stifle my sobs. I was freaking out to the extreme. Sodapop said that he and Darry would be here soon. I kept looking for their car, my hands shaking on my lap. Those guys who had beat up Ponyboy were the Sheppard gang. The only way I knew that was the picture in an old newspaper condemning them as hoodlums. Ponyboy had told me Dally and Tim had been close, both coming from New York City. Apparently the gangs were more organized in the east.

"Audrey!" I heard Two-Bit's voice screaming my name. I looked over to see Darry, Sodapop, and him in his car, all of them extremely worried.

"We're right here!" I shouted, my voice cracking. Sodapop saw his unconscious brother in my lap and hopped out of the car.

"How long has he been out?" he asked nervously. I held back my tears and tried to steady my voice as I answered.

"About ten minutes, give or take a few. He was hit hard." I looked over at Darry, whose face looked cold and hard. I wouldn't want to be a Sheppard right now.

"Who did this?" Darry demanded to know forcefully. Two-Bit give him a look telling him to back off. He breathed deeply and give me a sad smile.

"The Sheppard gang, minus Tim. He just sat in the car. Curly said it was revenge for Ponyboy rejecting Angela." I answered angrily. Why was that a good reason to beat someone up? From what I hear, she moves to a different guy each week. I bet they don't get beat up on the sidewalk. One thing I didn't get about Tusla: the whole defending your honor thing.

"I'm going to rip them apart from limb to limb," Two-Bit replied, his face dead-serious. I knew from what Ponyboy told me that Two-Bit rarely had those moments.

"Um, guys, shouldn't we get Ponyboy to a hospital or something?" Sodapop asked quietly, holding his brother in his arms.

"You're right," Darry answered calmly. He helped me up and escorted me into the car. Sodapop and I sat in the back, Ponyboy spread across the two of us. Two-Bit was driving while Darry was riding shotgun. Two-Bit may be a bad driver, but at least he's fast. We drove in silence, of us thinking about Ponyboy. My thoughts of Ponyboy were how he held my hand at the movies and kissed me when no one was watching. I craved those moments. I needed those moments.

Two-Bit's POV

We got to the hospital in record timing thanks to my amazing driving. I noticed Audrey clutching the back of Darry's seat tightly. I had forgotten that I had a first time passenger in my car. My driving scared most people; police officers loved to give me tickets. I usually sweet-talked my way out of them. That's what I should do for a living: sweet-talk people. I'd make a fortune.

Some guys in blue put Ponyboy on a stretcher. Only Darry and Soda were allowed to go in. Audrey and I sat in the waiting room, nervously waiting. I started to get horrible flashbacks from when Johnny was in the hospital. It had been a horrible time for the gang. We were all thankful neither of the kids died in that fire. Hell, we were glad they had made it through the week. I remembered what a mess Darry had been; he refused to get up out of bed. Soda had been distant, but still somewhat cheerful. Even Steve seemed a bit gloomier.

Watching Johnny die was torture for all of us, especially Pony. Johnny and he were closer than anyone in the gang. I used to love to joke how they must make interesting conversation with neither of them ever talking. It never occurred to me that they didn't really need to talk; their friendship was stronger than that. One of them knew what the other was feeling just from the way they acted. Johnny had been special like Ponyboy; the kid had been going somewhere. Maybe that's why they were so hell bent on seeing Pony go to college.

I looked over at Audrey. She was crying softly, her hair tousled and skirt dirty from the sidewalk. It was the girl's face that worried me the most. I didn't know how in love those two really were. Her face looked like she wouldn't be able to go on without him. I was instantly jealous of Ponyboy. In all the flings I'd had, not one girl had ever looked at me like that.

"Hey, Audrey," I said softly. She turned and looked at me, her eyes red. "You know that he'll be fine, right? Ponyboy's a fighter." This made her smile.

"I know. It was just scary. No wonder he's looking into that scholarship." Audrey replied distractedly. This made me pause and think for a second.

"What scholarship?" I asked curiously. Ponyboy was as sly as a fox; you could never get any information out of him. I figured the next best thing was getting information out of her.

"The one in California," Audrey responded slowly, as if I'd misheard her. I just gave her a look.

"What are you talking about?" I asked, my face showing confusion. She stared at me for a minute before realizing the obvious. "He didn't tell you," Audrey stated blankly. "Well, it's not too long of a story. We were having dinner with my parents, and Ponyboy and my dad were talking about college. Ponyboy mentioned that he'd be graduating a year early, and my dad told him about a scholarship that would allow him to cram a year of high school and college into one year. It was in California. I could tell it excited him, but he didn't talk about it." She paused. "Ponyboy told me he planned to get out of Tulsa as fast as possible, but that he still had reasons to stay."

"And what would those be?" I asked sarcastically. No one with the potential he has would stay in Tulsa. The town wasn't big enough for a dreamer like Ponyboy.

"Us," Audrey answered seriously. I just gabbed at her. She continued. "He said that he'd never leave you guys until everything was alright and that he need me to go wherever he went."

I wasn't sure what he'd meant by that. Sure, the gang was still devastated by the deaths of Johnny and Dally, but we were managing. Sure, Darry was still as stressed as ever, and Soda couldn't get over Sandy, but time would heal them. Still, I could kind of see his point. It was hard to leave when you knew you were need. I didn't know if we could afford to lose another gang member. It just might be the end of the gang.

"I think he's just scared," I said boldly. Audrey nodded her head.

"I agree with you. Ponyboy's scared out of his mind. But, he is still worried about you guys." she replied nonchalantly.

I feel the need to lighten up the mood. "Do you want hear a really bad joke?" Audrey nodded. "Okay, knock knock.'

"Who's there?"

"Banana."

"Banana who?"

"Knock knock."

"Who's there?"

"Banana."

"Banana who?"

"Knock knock."

"Who's there?"

"Orange."

"Orange who?"

"Orange ya glad I didn't say banana?" Audrey just shook her head at my lame joke. I personally thought it was genius. Everyone has their own opinions, I guess.


	9. Games and Diagnosis

Sodapop's POV

Darry and I stepped into Ponyboy's room. Our brother is lying unconscious in a hospital bed for the second time. I thought that nothing like this would never happen again. Then again, nothing ever seemed to work out in our family. I looked over at Ponyboy; he looked a little gruesome. They had cleaned up his cuts and bandaged his arm up. There were a few major cuts; one huge one across his cheek, a deep one on his hand, and one on his neck.

"Coco-Cola, are you okay?" Darry asked me softly. I smiled at the use of our dad's nickname for me. He had been a character; no normal person would name their kids Sodapop and Ponyboy.

"This shouldn't have happened!" I shouted helplessly. "He doesn't deserve this," I added softly. Darry only nodded; he was experiencing the same anger and frustration I was.

We heard a voice from behind us. "He'll be fine." We turned around to see a nice, middle-aged nurse holding a clipboard.

"What's the damage?" Darry asked bluntly. That was just his personality type: stubborn, straightforward, and always worrying.

"He has a slight concussion, nothing too serious. The cuts on his hand and neck fill heal relatively fast. The one on his face will take longer and will probably leave a scar, but otherwise he'll be fine. There was some minor bruising on his left leg, but nothing that needs further treatment."

"When will he wake up?" I asked eagerly. The nurse gave us a sad smile. It was the kind we got when our parents died, at their funeral.

"The doctor hasn't determined that yet," the nurse answered lightly. She avoided looking us in the eyes.

"What do you mean the doctor hasn't determined that yet?" Darry asked, gritting his teeth and glaring at the nurse. I felt bad for the poor woman. This wasn't her fault.

"The doctor isn't sure how long your brother will be unconscious. The prognosis right now is that he'll wake up in a few days, but that isn't certain. It could take up to a few weeks for him to wake up." the nurse explained calmly. Darry and I exchanged panicked looks. "The doctor will be here in a few minutes to talk with you."

Darry was too absorbed in his own thoughts to hear the nurse's voice. "Thank you so much," I told her sincerely. She gave me a warm smile.

"It's all part of my job. And I hope your brother is okay. He seems like a good kid." she replied.

Two-Bit's POV

Audrey and I sat in silence after my supposed lame joke. She still looked like she was going to cry, so I tried to think of something to entertain her with. "Hey Audrey?" She turned to face me. "Want to play the question game?"

"What's the question game?" she naively asked. I shook my head in amusement. No one had truly started to life until they've played the question game.

"Haven't you ever played the question game before?" I answered skillfully. This was the best game to play on a road trip, something I learned from experience. I needed some way to shut my little sister; her singing got annoying after 200 miles.

"Why would I have played the question game before?" I smiled. This girl caught on fast.

"Do you know how to play the question game?" I was waiting for her to slip off like everyone else always did when going up against me. I tried to stump them by talking too fast.

"Don't you know I'm a fast learner?" I smirked a bit.

"How would I know that?"

"Aren't I dating your friend?"

I hesitated a bit before asking, "How did you met him?" Audrey just stared at me a second before answering.

"We met after school one day," she answered solemnly. I stared at her for a moment. She deliberately lost the question game.

"You just lost," I told her, a spark my eyes.

"I know," she replied cheerfully. I don't know how, but I could sense this girl was Ponyboy's match. The rest of the gang would say that I was crazy, but I could feel it in my bones.

"Do you love him?" I pressed on further. I wanted to make sure Pony's heart was safe, that he wouldn't get hurt. The kid's seems were starting to come undone, and I'm not sure he could handle being broken again.

"So damn much," Audrey replied as if it pained her. It made me jealous; I'd never had that kind of love. Sure, I'd been with a lot of girls, but they'd never loved me. I just liked running after girls too stupid to ask my name before jumping into the backseat of my car. I preferred dumb blondes; they didn't ask a lot of questions, especially the slutty ones. The best thing about dumb blondes was that they were easy to figure out, unlike others.

Ponyboy's POV

I felt dizzy, almost like I hadn't ate in days. I tried to open my eyes but my head hurt too bad. It was one of the horrible nightmares I use to have, only now I couldn't wake up from it. The harder I tried to wake up, the hazier my mind became. I didn't know where I was. I didn't know if I was still on the sidewalk with Audrey or if I was in some hospital bed with IVs dripping down my arm. Both were pretty crummy options, but I'd still chose the first one because she was in the equation. Anything was better with Audrey by my side.

The sad thing was that, if Dally saw how gushy and girly I'd become, he'd beat the crap out of me. Then he'd probably take me out for a drink to celebrate the fact I'd had a girl and a Soc one no less. I secretly liked part of the person she was making me into. The gang is like my family, but you can't always find who you are within your family. Sometimes you have to venture outside that circle and find yourself. Audrey pushed me to be better, something that was familiar to me. Only, she didn't make me feel like crap the way Darry does. She only builds me up, putting ideas of New York City in my head. I even applied for the scholarship she told me about.

I was afraid to leave Tulsa. It was my home, after all. I'd miss Sodapop and his colored food, Two-Bit and his bad jokes, Darry's lectures, and Steve's card games. I'd miss going to the graveyard every weekend and eating diner with the gang. I didn't know how to live without those guys; the idea itself seemed rather daunting. I was happy that everyone wanted to see me bright and successful, but at the same time I wondered: will they miss?

All I knew for sure was that I had to get out of this crappy town. I mean, Tulsa's great for people like Two-Bit and Tim Sheppard who only require a few basic needs: friends, boozes, and girls. This place had it all for them; there was no need to go anywhere else. For everyone else, it was the simply the place you'd end up if you were just any ordinary person. Most of Tulsa's citizens were okay with that and even thrived on it. I, however, wanted something more. Excitement, maybe? Open-minded people wouldn't be bad either. Or a place without any greasers or Socs. I was starting to get fed up with all if it. I no longer saw the point. It was hard to watch all these people fight and die for nothing but honor. And when you come down to it, no one cares about your honor. They care about the fact their friends in the ground, and you're the one who did it. And that's why I'd never fight another Soc again.


	10. Going Home

Ponyboy's POV

I still couldn't wake myself up from this sleep. I tried to remember what had happened. I remembered the Sheppard gang sneaking up on Audrey and me. I remembered trying to fight them up and seeing Tim sitting in the car. After that, everything went black. I could only hear voices: Audrey's was frantic and panicked, Soda's was worried, and Two-Bit's was concerned but still good-hearted. I hadn't been hearing the voices much, but they were still there. Suddenly, I heard voices; they were very strong.

"Will he walk up soon?" I knew this was Audrey. Her voice was soft and soothing no matter what. I tried to answer her, but I couldn't. That's when I realized I was unconscious.

"It's hard to tell. He's been improving. I'd come in here and talk to him a couple tmes a day. Some people wake up faster that way." I recognized the doctor's voice from the last time I was here.

I would've laughed if I had been able to. That would be the perfect job for Two-Bit. He could talk my ear off any day of the week. As I expected, Two-Bit volunteered himself for the job. "I'll do it!' he shouted cheerfully.

Everyone laughed, just as I suspected them to. I knew the gang like the back of my hand. Darry would always be my overprotective, hard-ass older brother, Soda would always be my favorite, easygoing older brother, Two-Bit would always be my fun, loyal best friend who lived life to the fullest, and Steve and I would never get along. Those are just some facts of my life. Audrey was a little harder to figure out; girls tended to be that way. Two-Bit always laughed at me when I said stuff like that. He thought all girls were as simple as the girls he picked up at the Nightly double. Soda understood what I was talking about.

I was just starting discover these kinds of things. Love wasn't like what it is in movies and books. It wasn't instant or easy; that much I knew. You had to fight for the people you love. It was a long, hard battle. I needed to wake up. I was sick of being silent. I was ready to confess everything to my friends. I was going leave Tusla and be someone. I had suffered enough; it was time for me to do something for myself.

I tried to open up my eyes; it didn't work. I tried something else. I tried lifting up my finger. I kept chanting it to myself that I could do it. I heard a few gasps before realizing that I had actually done it. There were collective gasps from everyone in the world.

Audrey's POV

I was in mid-sentence when I saw Ponyboy's finger move. "Look over here!" I shouted maybe a little bit too loud. Everyone looked to see Ponyboy tapping his finger on the side table. The doctor had the nurse go get his colleague to see this. People usually don't bounce back that fast. Ponyboy had only been unconscious for three days. Most people in a coma took a lot longer to get responses like that. Everyone was pleased except Darry.

"What's your problem, man?" Two-Bit asked angrily. I could tell this caught Darry off guard. Two-Bit mad could do that to someone. He was practically glaring at Darry.

"He's not awake yet," Darry answered softly. Two-Bit only nodded. "Why isn't he awake yet?"

"It takes time, Dar," Soda told him rationally. "He'll wake up when he's ready." That statement didn't make sense to me.

"What does that mean exactly?" I asked, a look of befuddlement on my face. No one could answer my question. The nurse spoke up.

"It means your friend is the one who decides when he wakes up," she explained quietly. I motioned for her to continue. "You may think it's the doctors and everyone else who decides to wake up, but it's really his decision. He moved his finger because he was ready to."

"If this is all in his control, why isn't he awake yet?" Darry asked harshly. I could tell that he didn't believe a word this nurse was saying.

The nurse shook her head. "I didn't say he was strong enough to wake up. I only said that it was his decision when he's strong enough. Some people's body are strong enough to wake up, but their minds aren't."

"How do you know all of this?" Two-Bit asked curiously. I shot him a dirty look. I was taught to never ask those kind of questions in case it had some bad memory linked to it.

"Personal experience," the nurse answered discreetly. We all only nodded and didn't prod any further.

"Thanks," Soda apologized sincerely. The nurse smiled at us before walking out of the room. The doctor came in shortly after she left.

"Well, I have some good news." We all looked over at the doctor. "You'll be able to talk Ponyboy home tomorrow. His results are good enough that he can be monitored at home. He should be conscious in a few days." I surprised the doctor with a huge hug. He just patted me on the back,

Darry's POV

Unlike everyone else, I wasn't excited about bringing Ponyboy home. To me, nothing had changed. He was still unconscious; he couldn't mouth me off, read a book, or kiss his girlfriend. Life wouldn't be any different with an unconscious Pony in our house. It would just mean that we don't have to spend as much time in the hospital. The doctor arranged for a hospice nurse to come and watch Pony. We would've done it, but neither Soda nor I could afford to miss another day of work. I felt bad that Steve had been covering for Soda a lot, but Soda told me it was Steve's way of helping Pony. Despite having finding him annoying, Steve knew Pony was important to all of us. He knew Pone was the glue that was holding the gang together. Without him, we might fall apart.

I watched Two-Bit and Soda carry my little brother into the house. He looked so weak and un-Ponyboy like. Like when he was a little kid. Before the car crash, Pony had no reason to know how to fight. He was still an innocent little kid. After our parents died, we lost that security. Ponyboy lost his childhood. He was inducted into our world. I still wish our brother had been able to retain his innocence, but at least he still had his idealism. I guess that was an adult version of innocence. I certainly wasn't idealistic; my brothers called me a pessimist. I considered myself a realist. Sure, I had dreams, but nothing I couldn't accomplish through hard work. I worried about Pony because his dreams seemed so distant.

"Darry?" I heard a soft voice ask me. I turned around to see Audrey giving me a sympathetic gaze. It wasn't a look that would make me resent her. It was one of understanding. "He'll be fine, you know."

"And how do you know that?" I challenged the tiny girl, wanting to see where she was going with this. Everyone had gotten to know this girl but me. Now it was my turn.

"Call it destiny or whatever the hell you want. I just know." she replied with some edge. I was impressed; no one ever has the nerve to go up against me.

"Tell Pony I approve," I whispered to her as I went to get the mail, She gave me a confused look before picking up on what I meant. She gave me a gracious smile. I just waved as I walked towards the mailbox. Maybe I was becoming a huge softy.


	11. NYC?

Audrey's POV

It had been a month since Ponyboy had been jumped by the Sheppard gang, and life was slowly returning to normal. He had woken up the same day we brought him home. Most of his injuries were healed. Ponyboy's wrist was still broken, but at least he could leave the house now. His brothers were still worried about him but were starting to ease off. I now knew everything about the gang; I'd became the mother hen. It was probably a good thing too; those guys would get themselves killed without someone watching over them. Surprisingly, my favorite member of the gang turned out to be Steve, which everyone found to be hilarious. As expected, this didn't thrill Ponyboy.

One night, I was helping Ponyboy make dinner since he couldn't do much with one hand. He was mixing the spaghetti sauce while I strained the noodles. I was sorting the mail while the sauce was warming up. Suddenly, something caught my eye. I read the return address only to realize it was in New York City. "Ponyboy!" I shouted excitedly. He ran into the room, his expression worried.

"Are you okay?" Ponyboy asked with a chuckle after seeing my shocked face. I simply handed him the envelope. Ponyboy's jaw dropped.

"Oh crap," was all he could say. I smacked his arm gently and grabbed the envelope, gently opening it.

I read it out loud since Ponyboy seemed to have lost his power of speech. "Dear Mr. Ponyboy Curtis, we are pleased to inform you that you have been rewarded with our advanced writing scholarship and we here at New York University are looking forward to seeing you. Sincerely, Dean Lewis."

"Wow," Ponyboy replied dumfounded. I raised an eyebrow at him. "What am I supposed to say?"

"Um, praise the Lord alleluia sounds like it would be appropriate," I responded. Ponyboy rolled his eyes and pulled me in for a kiss. It would've lasted longer if I hadn't noticed the garlic bread burning. "Shoot!" I shouted, glaring at Ponyboy as he laughed. Luckily, I saved the bread right in time.

I could tell just by looking at him that Ponyboy was deep in thought. I wondered if he was actually going to go to NYC. I knew he was dying to explore the world outside of Tulsa. Living in this town is like being in jail. I haven't even lived here a year, and I'm dying to leave. I can't imagine what it would've been like to grow up here.

"Hey Ponyboy?" I asked softly. He turned around to look at me. "What's going to happen when you go to New York?"

Ponyboy gave me a confused look before asking, "What do you mean?"

"I mean with us," I restated, hoping he would catch my message. I wasn't sure how long-distance would work for me. It was torture being away from Ponyboy for more than one class period; I couldn't imagine going months without seeing him.

"Oh," Ponyboy responded. I nodded my head, waiting for him to continue. "Well, I'm not even sure I'm going yet, so we don't have to decide anything yet." I felt my jaw drop. I couldn't believe the sentence coming out of his mouth.

"You'd seriously let this opportunity pass you buy?" I asked in disbelief. "What are you afraid of?"

Ponyboy scoffed. "I'm not afraid of anything." I gave him a knowing look. "They need me here."

I rolled my eyes. "Ponyboy, they'll probably always need you here. That's not a good reason to stay. You need to do something for yourself for once." I empathized that last part. He was always trying to please someone, his brothers, his friends, and his teachers. It was like Ponyboy couldn't be Ponyboy unless he was alone. It made sad because I loved the real Ponyboy.

Ponyboy was about to say something when the gang minus Darry walked in, all talking about nothing. "We'll talk about this later," he said a low voice. I put my hand on my hip and glared at my boyfriend.

"No, Ponyboy Curtis, we are going to talk about this now," I demanded, causing Two-Bit to laugh.

"Pone, I'd talk about whatever she wants to talk about. That girl looks angry." Two-Bit said with a mocking grin. I smiled at him before going back to glaring at Ponyboy.

"Tell them now," I said with a stone-cold expression. Ponyboy sighed before opening his mouth.

"I got the scholarship in New York," Ponyboy replied quietly while glancing at his feet. Everyone turned to look at him.

"New York? As in New York City?" Soda asked in amazement. His little brother only nodded.

Two-Bit grinned widely. "Wow, Pony, that's huge. I say after dinner, we go out and celebrate." I raised my eyebrow.

"Does this celebration involve a bar?" I asked knowingly. Two-Bit just smiled at me. "Have fun you guys." Before leaving, I kissed Ponyboy and whispered, "Just think about it." He shrugged and escorted me outside.

Two-Bit's POV

I grinned at Ponyboy while enjoying my spaghetti. Thank God his girlfriend could cook because I was getting sick of the same meals over and over again. Whenever I complained, Darry would just say, "Then go home for dinner." My mom's cooking skills plus the amount of time she had to actually cook the meals didn't equal a good meal. My little sister couldn't cook either, instead choosing to go out with friends to eat every night. Hopefully the girl wasn't lying and sleeping over guys' houses instead. Then I would go to jail for all the guys I would have to kill for touching my sister. It was one of the reasons I didn't want her hanging out with the gang; I was afraid she might fall for one of them. That, and I didn't want her to become one of us. It made me feel like Darry sometimes.

"Is there something you would like to say, Two-Bit?" Pony asked me, his expression annoyed. I cleared my throat and stood up, ready to make a toast.

"Okay, okay. A toast to Ponyboy, who's going to New York City cuz he's just too smart for this town. Hear, hear!" We all raised our beers and clinked them together. Even Pony was drinking a beer, but only since it was a special occasion. I swore him to secrecy because Darry would kill me if he found out I gave his baby brother a beer. It made me laugh to hear how naïve Darry though Ponyboy was. After Dally and Johnny died, the kid got into some pretty hard core stuff. Partying, drinking, drugs… I'd bailed him out of some sticky situations, and after a few weeks, Pony decided it wasn't for him. I couldn't have been more grateful. The people he was getting mixed up with were dangerous. Ponyboy had made me promise to never tell Darry anything that had happened.

"Even he doesn't know if he's going yet," he added. Soda glared at his little brother.

"Of course you're going," Soda insisted firmly. "Why wouldn't you?"

"Maybe I don't want to go," Pony stated. Everyone at the table snorted. None of us could believe that.

"Oh, please. You want to get out of Tulsa more than anything. Everyone can tell." Soda replied with a roll of his eyes. Ponyboy tried to respond but couldn't think of a thing to say. We all knew Soda was right. Pony didn't belong in this town; I don't think he ever had. I belonged in this town, like Soda and Steve. Darry didn't belong in this town, but he'd never leave Soda here. We all knew Ponyboy would be the only one to ever go somewhere. The gang would always have to live through him.


	12. Graduation (Even Two-Bit!)

Ponyboy's POV

After hitting a bar with the gang, I sat in my room and started to think. I thought about what it would be like to live in New York. Dally had always made New York sound gritty and tough, but that was Dally for you. He could make a romantic movie sound dangerous. To me, New York sounded like a fresh start, a place where I could make my own mark. In Tulsa, I'd always be the little brother, the kid. I felt like I had earned the chance to make my own mark.

So that's why, two days later, I sent in my acceptance letter. I had yet to tell Darry about the scholarship, and no one knew I had made up my mind. The whole gang and Audrey were for it. Audrey's aunt lived in New York and had offered to let me rent a room for way less than what a dorm would cost. I decided that I would get a part-time job so that I could pay for what my scholarship wouldn't cover.

When I came back, Soda and Darry were sitting at the table eating pink eggs. "Hey, Pony! Where have you been?" Soda asked suspiciously. He raised an eyebrow at me, and I realized what he was implying. Since I had thrown on the same shirt and pants from yesterday, he assumed I had slept over Audrey's. I felt a warm flush spread across my face.

"I went to mail something," I responded quickly. Soda's eyes bugged out. No one had thought I would make my decision so quickly. Darry just eyed both of us.

"What did you send?" he inquired noisily. Lying about it crossed my mind, but I decided against. My oldest brother always knew when I was lying.

"An acceptance letter for a scholarship in New York," I truthfully responded. Darry just looked at me once, got up out of his chair, and walked over to the phone.

He dialed some number and started talking to the person on the other line. "Hey, Lance, it's Darry. Look, I need the day off today." Soda and I exchanged a skeptical look. Neither of us could remember the last time Darry took a day off. "I have to go do something with my brothers." Lance must've said okay, because my oldest brother was smiling when he hung up. "What? We have to celebrate. Get your jackets and then we can go." Soda and I did as he said, confusion probably evident on both our faces.

We left a few minutes later, drove over to Two-Bit's, picked him up, and then headed over to Steve's. Our last stop was Audrey's. We started making out as she got into the car. My day was definitely good so far.

Audrey's POV

The rest of that year flew right past us. Two-Bit finally graduated, to the shock of my father and the whole student body. I somehow convinced the whole gang to go to the prom. Even Darry went as a chaperone. Two-Bit went with Marcia, Steve with Evie, Soda with Cherry, and I set Darry up with the new librarian, Clara. Steve and Soda somehow scrounged up enough money to buy their own small garage that quickly became a success that summer. I think it was just because girls like to stare at Sodapop and the fact that Steve was really good at fixing cars. Ponyboy decided to go to New York, but I hadn't told him my big news. My dad had accepted a new job in New York at a private all boys' school. It was his usual routine: go to a school, stay for a year, make some improvements, and bolt before the next fall. We usually spent the summer in whatever town we were living in at the time. I had a feeling that the summer in Tulsa would always stick out in my mind.

And, I was right. Those three months of summer were perfect, just the way I wanted them to be. Ponyboy and I spent every waking moment together. We went to the drive-in, the library, and the diner. We spent hours fighting and arguing over books, movies, and music. Sometimes, we fought and over the stupidest things. I'd call him an idiot, and he'd call me a pain in the butt. The gang were always amused by our fights. Two-Bit usually yelled stop when he saw us start to fight then walked over to the refrigerator and grabbed a soda. "Okay, continue," he'd add once he was situated in a chair. This would normally cause me to throw a pillow or sofa cushion at him. Ponyboy just always laughed. But, for every fight we had, there was an amazing make-up. Then, one night, Ponyboy and I did it. It was just as I would've wanted it.

The summer months flew by fast, faster than anyone was comfortable with. I knew things had really changed when I saw Two-Bit wearing a tie for a job interview. "Close your mouth, Audrey. You'll catch flies that way." he'd said after seeing my dropped jaw. He was now a bartender at a bar one town over but still living and stirring up trouble in Tulsa. Before I knew it, Ponyboy was getting ready to leave.

I sat in his room while he packed his stuff, watching him sort through numerous books, records, and random stuff. Ponyboy even managed to find some of Sodapop's lost stuff. I felt sorry for the middle brother. Ponyboy was leaving, which meant an empty half of his room. He had told me that Sodapop wouldn't mind that much. "He'll probably just put his stuff where mine use to be," Ponyboy reassured me. I didn't believe him for one second. Ponyboy and his brothers were close, closer than they'd ever admit. I knew Sodapop would miss his little brother immensely. I was curious to see how the gang would carry on without its youngest member. I didn't even really consider them a gang anymore. They just didn't seem that tough to me.

My secret came out a week before Ponyboy was due to leave. He was early to pick me up and was in deep conversation with my father. As soon as I saw his face, I knew that he knew. Ponyboy's expression showed both surprise and confusion. "Audrey and her mother will be leaving for New York in a week. I'll be sticking around to deal with some last minute things. So, are you looking forward to seeing the city?" Ponyboy's face lit up at the mention of it.

"Yes, I am," Ponyboy responded casually. "I know people in New York, so it will be nice to see them again. I'm also just really looking forward to the program itself." I smiled at this; it was a huge understatement. The writing program was all he had been able to talk about.

"Well, you'll be in very capable hands there. I have quite a few friends who are professors there. They are very brilliant men and one woman." my dad replied with a swift nod of the head. I cleared my throat and walked down the stairs. I kissed my dad goodbye on the cheek and walked outside to Ponyboy's car. He gave me an odd look.

"Why didn't you tell me?" he asked, his eyes betraying hurt. I shrugged; my reasoning there wasn't clear yet.

"I don't know," I answered honestly. Ponyboy only nodded and gave me a light kiss. He didn't mention it the remainder of the night. Then again, Ponyboy really didn't say much the rest of the night. I thought he was angry, but I later learned he was just thinking, going over every little detail. Somehow, I knew I never wanted to lose Ponyboy. I wasn't sure if he was my first love or the love of my life, but I was about to find out.


	13. Dreams Accomplished

**Sodapop's POV**

**A week went by, and it was finally time for Ponyboy to go. Audrey had left earlier that day, and I'd already had my fill of goodbyes. Two-Bit had lifted her up and hugged her goodbye. I could swear I saw a tear in Steve's eye, the big softie. He promised Audrey a free oil change on her car if she came to visit, which she agreed to. Darry had took her aside and thanked her for everything she had done for us: giving us Ponyboy back, making us meals, and keeping us out of trouble. "It's been my pleasure," Audrey responded with a smile. **

**Finally, it came time for me to say goodbye. As I hugged her, I whispered in her ear, "Take care of my baby brother in the big city, will ya?"**

"**Of course," Audrey replied reassuringly. We all left the room so Ponyboy and Audrey could say a temporary goodbye. Really, they weren't saying goodbye, but it was only fair. I swore I could hear them make out from the porch, where everyone was enjoying a smoke before Audrey could yell at us. I swear, that girl is nuts. How could smoking be bad for you?**

**Finally, Audrey walked outside, her hair slightly messed up and her shirt unbuttoned. I smirked at her. "Don't corrupt my brother!" I teased as she got into her car.**

"**Trust me, he's the one doing the corrupting," Audrey replied, her head sticking out the window. On that note, she drove away. Two-Bit and I laughed at the worried look on Darry's face. He was rubbing his temples nervously.**

"**Don't worry about them," I told Darry knowingly. "They're smart kids."**

**My older brother chuckled. "I suppose you're right, Pepsi-Cola. And I guess they're not kids anymore, either." At that moment, Two-Bit started to clap. We all gave him a look.**

"**What? Darry just had a major epiphany that I thought deserved appluase." Two-Bit defended himself. I rolled my eyes at him.**

"**Two-Bit, where did you learn the word epiphany?" Ponyboy asked, walking onto the porch. I noticed how my brother's shirt was on backwards. **

"**Hey, I'm a graduated senior now, thank you very much," Two-Bit shot back smugly. None of us could say anything; the idea itself was new to us.**

"**So, I'm all ready to go," Ponyboy announced after an awkward silence. None of us could say anything. We didn't know how to say goodbye to him. Darry and I didn't know how to say goodbye to our kid brother, the one we'd spent so much time caring for and protecting. None of us knew how to let him go off by himself to New York. Steve, surprisingly, was the first one to step up and say goodbye to Ponyboy.**

"**Take care of yourself, kid," Steve told him sincerely. "Don't go off and do something stupid that would give us heart attacks. Make us proud." We were all shocked to hear those words come out of Steve's mouth. Then again, being friends with Audrey had warmed him up to Ponyboy a bof affection from Steve. **

**Two-Bit was next, giving Ponyboy a big hug. "it more.**

"**I'll try," Ponyboy replied, clearly surprised by this rare show Don't forget to loosen up and have fun once in a while," he said with a huge grin. Darry gave Two-Bit a warning glare. "But not too much fun," he added quickly. "Despite what you believe, there is life outside school. Don't be afraid to live it. And don't be caught off guard if I come by to visit once in a while." Two-Bit smiled deviously. Ponyboy laughed.**

"**Okay. But, when you visit, you're paying for drinks." Ponyboy gave in. Darry's face was priceless. I stopped him from saying something.**

**I went up to my younger brother and hugged him. "Have fun. Be the genius you are and don't let them change you. Most importantly, come visit once in a while." I manage to muttered out. "We're proud of you, buddy," I whispered softly. "You're going places."**

**Ponyboy smiled. "Thanks. I'll be home for Thanksgiving." he replied excitedly. That was one really good thing about Ponyboy's scholarship; it covered airfare we couldn't afford. That way, he could be home for every holiday or break if he wanted to be. That was comforting to us.**

**Darry was the last one to say goodbye. "Ponyboy, I know I've been a little hard on you at times," he started to say. Ponyboy rolled his eyes at the understatement but let him continue. "But it's only because I want the best for you. I want you to be able to do whatever you want, and I'm really glad you got what you wanted. I hope you love it there." Darry's voice started to crack. "Just don't forget about us, alright. Remember where you came from." Ponyboy nodded and hugged Darry hard. After that, Darry and Ponyboy left, heading for the airport. I knew that Ponyboy had said goodbye to our parents, Dally, and Johnny at the cemetery the night before.**

**Suddenly, I felt the sudden urge to change something in my life. I turned to Steve, a smile on my face. "Hey, Steve, what's the name of Evie's friend again?" I asked. If Ponyboy could go and start a new life in a new city, then I could start a new relationship. I was perfectly capable of getting over Sandy. **

**Ponyboy's POV**

**After Darry dropped me off at the airport, I checked my bags, got my ticket, and got aboard the plane. I was seated next to a small, wrinkly old man wearing a checkered suit with a brown felt hat. He smoking a cigar and reading The New York Times. He put the paper down once the stewardesses started to show us how to put the seatbelts on. Well, he put down the paper to watch the stewardesses anyways. I looked down at the section he was reading and spotted something odd: my name under a byline. "Hey, sir, may I look at that section for a minute?" I asked politely. The man merely nodded as he started at the stewardess who was bending over to pick up a napkin. I swore I could hear Audrey muttering the word pig in my head.**

**I turned back to the paper and read the headline. It said Winner of Young Writer's Contest: Ponyboy Curtis. I scanned the story, which someone had titled The Outsiders. It was my journal, my English narrative. It only went up to when Johnny killed Bob Sheldon, but it said that it was only the first installment. I stared at the paper in shock. I was a published writer. I didn't know who did this, though I suspected that Sodapop was behind it. He was the only person who would have access to my journal. The old man's attention averted back to me. "I see you've read that," he said gruffly. "It's a fine piece of work. That young man has a bright future in front of him." I smiled.**

"**Yeah, he does," I replied. The flight didn't seem all that long. Before I knew it, I was getting off the plane. Suddenly, I felt someone jump on me. I looked up and it was Audrey. She looked so happy and carefree.**

"**You're here!" she squealed in delight. I kissed her and put her down. We went to get my bags, and I told her about the story. "Oh my God. That's amazing! I'm buying a copy of The New York Times for everyone I know." I smiled at her enthusiasm. **

**I turned to my gorgeous girlfriend. "How did I get so damn lucky?" I asked her, finally feeling something I hadn't since Dally and Johnny died. I felt content, like I was where I was supposed to be.**

**Audrey gave me a saucy smile. 'Why, I don' know, Ponyboy Curtis. But, I do know this calls for a celebration." she responded flirtatiously. I kissed her again. "Come on. Let's go get your bags." We went and got my bags. I got us a taxi, and we headed to my dorm room. After that, we had our first date in the city, celebrating my success. I called Sodapop and told him the good news, which he relayed to everyone else. **

**Now, I don't know what my life's going to be like now, but I do know one thing. Wherever it's heading, I can count on Audrey and the gang to be there for me. My story is far from over. This is just a new chapter, and I have no clue where it's heading. **

**Okay, so that's the story. I just want to say thanks for everyone who read it and reviewed. I really appreciate your support and encouragement. I might write an epilogue, but I think I wrapped it up well enough that it's not necessary. I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. **


End file.
